Our Constitution – 24 May 2024
Preamble
This Constitution shall replace the Constitution of 2023 entitled “Wirral Society in affiliation with the Campaign to Protect Rural England“.
Name
The name shall be The Wirral Society.
Area
The area of the Society’s operations (herein called Wirral) shall be that area historically known as the Hundred of Wirral.
Objectives
The objectives of the Society shall be to:
- work both for the improvement, and where necessary the protection of, the rural, suburban and urban environment and heritage of the Wirral Peninsula. This includes its sea, coast and adjoining waters.
- monitor development proposals and take measures to prevent over-development and development considered likely to impair the environment or heritage in any way.
- encourage and support in a manner deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee any proposal or project which has as its aim the:
- improvement of the Wirral environment.
- promotion of the Society itself to encourage interest in its work.
- promotion of events which encourage the appreciation of Wirral’s environment and/or its history or environment.
- work with other local societies sharing common goals.
- support through affiliation, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and act as the Wirral District Committee for its Cheshire Branch at the Cheshire Branch’s request.
- Classes of Membership – There shall be four classes of membership:
- Corporate Membership – Local Authorities and organisations operating in Wirral shall be eligible for Corporate Membership, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. Each organisation is entitled to one vote.
- Individual Membership –shall be eligible for membership with one vote.
- Joint Membership – shall be at a reduced subscription and will carry two votes.
- Honorary Membership – to be bestowed by a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee on any person who is, or is not, currently a subscribing Member as considered appropriate.
- Officers – The Officers of the Society shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting of the Society and shall consist of a Chairman/Woman, a Vice-Chairman/Woman, a Treasurer, Secretary and such Officers as may be deemed necessary from time to time. The Society at the Annual General Meeting may elect persons as President, or Vice-presidents, whether or not subscribers to, or members of, the Society.
- Executive Committee – There shall be an Executive Committee which shall consist of:
- a Chairman/Woman, a Vice-Chairman/Woman, a Treasurer, a Secretary and such officers as shall be deemed as necessary to allow the effective running of the Society.
- The Executive Committee shall seek re-election at each A.G.M.
- Committee members are deemed Trustees of the Society in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Commission.
- not more than 10 members of the Society will be elected at the A.G.M.
- not more than 5 corporate members can be on the Committee. The rest of the Committee, which shall also be re-elected at the A.G.M., shall comprise of no more than 15 members of whom a number may be drawn from corporate societies at the Committee’s discretion.
- The Executive Committee shall have power to fill vacancies occurring during the year.
- A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of five members.
- Subject to the provision of these rules the Executive Committee shall be responsible for transacting the general business of the Society and for the conduct and administration of the Society’s affairs. If an item is called to a vote, the Chairman/Woman has a casting vote.
- The Executive Committee may incur such expenditure and employ such officers and staff as may be necessary for promoting the objectives of the Society.
- The Executive Committee shall have the power to appoint and dissolve such sub-committees as may be necessary. All sub-committees shall have the power to co-opt or to invite the attendance of other persons whether members of the Executive Committee or not.
- The Executive Committee shall have the power to enter into agreements with other organisations for the formation of any joint committees, calculated to promote the Society’s objectives.
- The Executive Committee shall meet at such times as found necessary, but at least four times a year.
- Subscriptions – The rate of Subscriptions for the four kinds of membership mentioned in Clause 4 shall be recommended by the Executive Committee and determined by the A.G.M. The Society shall be affiliated to the Campaign to Protect Rural England and shall pay the Annual subscription to that body for its charitable purposes.
- Meetings:
- An A.G.M. of Members of the Society shall be held at such a time and in such a place as the Executive Committee shall decide.
- At such an A.G.M, the Executive Committee shall submit a Report on the year’s activities and a statement of accounts and balance sheet examined by an independent scrutineer.
- Special General Meetings of the Society may be convened by the Executive Committee or upon the request in writing of twenty members of the Society.
- Those entitled to attend and vote at the A.G.M. shall be individual members and one person on behalf of each Corporate Organisation.
- Not less than 10 days notice of any Annual General Meeting shall be given to each Member. Documents relating to the A.G.M. will be circulated prior to the meeting. In the case of a Special General Meeting, documentation on the purpose of the meeting will be circulated in advance to members.
- At any Annual General Meeting, twelve shall be a quorum.
- The business of the Meeting shall be resolutions relating to the adoption of the Annual Report, the Accounts, the Balance Sheet, the election of officers and of the Executive Committee; and any other business as the Chairman/woman of the meeting may permit.
- Minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee and of the Annual General Meeting and any Special General Meetings of the Society shall be kept.
- Alteration to the Constitution – Any alteration of, or addition to, this Constitution shall be made only at either an A.G.M. or at a Special General Meeting of the Society and shall be subject to a two-thirds majority of those present. In the case of an S.G.M., full details and proposals will be in the Notice convening the meeting. This is providing that any amendment does not have the effect of causing the Charity to cease to be a Charity at law.
- Dissolution – If at any time it appears that the objects of the Society have not been fulfilled or can no longer be achieved the Society may be dissolved with the concurrence of a two-thirds majority of those present and voting at a Special General Meeting called for the purpose. Funds of the Society remaining after the satisfaction of all proper debts and liabilities, shall be transferred to the Campaign to Protect Rural England.